Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a forty day period of prayer and preparation as we ready ourselves for the joy of Easter. There are lots of different ways to approach this season but beginning well is certainly key and so I encourage all of you to come to join us for a service on Ash Wednesday itself:
ASH WEDNESDAY – 1st MARCH
9.30 am Morning Prayer
11.30 am Said Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes
2.30 pm Holy Communion at St Matthew’s Care Home
5.00 pm Evening Prayer
8.00 pm Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes
Then, what comes next is up to you, but we have plenty of choice on offer. The overall theme is entitled ‘Faith in Action’ as we reflect on the example of Jesus in his own life and ministry – what he did and said -and how we can emulate that as we seek to live out and share our faith in God:
SUNDAYS at 6.30 pm GIVING UP
One of the ways that many people keep Lent is by giving something up. It might be chocolate, or alcohol or sugar in your coffee. It isn’t a bad way of making us concentrate in Lent on what it is really all about. But what if we gave up some of those things that harm our relationship with God and diminish God’s purpose for us? What if we gave up some of our own priorities and started focusing on what God really offers. Each Sunday evening service will include a 10 minute address to help us think about these things.
| 5 March
12 March 19 March 26 March 2 April 9 April 16 April |
Choral Evensong
Evening Service Contemporary Service Evening Service Evening Service The Way of the Cross Festal Evensong |
‘Giving up…Control’
‘Giving up…Expectations’ ‘Giving up…Superiority’ ‘Giving up…Enemies’ ‘Giving up…Our Lives’ ‘Giving up…Popularity’ ‘Giving up…Death’ |
MONDAYS at 12 noon LIVING GOD’S LOVE
On Monday lunchtimes we meet in the Transept to enjoy some fellowship and lunch together, sharing a simple meal of soup, bread and fruit as we talk and encourage each other in faith. The Diocesan Initiative ‘Living God’s Love’ was launched in 2011 and holds together all that we seek to do in our churches, chaplaincies and schools to grow in faith and number, shaped by Jesus Christ. On these Mondays we’ll be exploring together how we can live out God’s love in our lives more fully, collectively and individually.
| 6 March
13 March 20 March 27 March 3 April |
To live your life…
|
with Generosity
with Joy with Imagination with Courage for the sake of the World |
TUESDAYS at 9.00 pm QUESTIONS OF THE CROSS
On Tuesday evenings we gather in the Church and to hear a fifteen minute reflection on aspects of the Crucifixion, the ultimate moment of ‘Faith in Action’. This is then followed by a short Compline service.
| 7 March
14 March 21 March 28 March 4 April |
A Question of Story
A Question of Trust A Question of Purpose A Question of Love A Question of Our Story |
God’s Story, God’s People, God’s World
The Awesome Trust of Jesus What does it all mean? Why did it happen? A Love that gives Everything Not so much a question as a response |
WEDNESDAYS at 7.30 pm SEEKING AFTER TRUTH
All year round we offer this simple Eucharist as a quiet counterpoint to the busyness of our Sunday services. During Lent we enhance it with a five or six minute ‘Thought for the Day’ – an inspiring reflection based on Matthew Chapter 20 where Jesus teaches on what it means to be a true disciple.
| 8 March
15 March 22 March 29 March 5 April |
Matthew 20. 1-16
Matthew 20. 17-19 Matthew 20. 20-23 Matthew 20. 24-28 Matthew 20. 29-34 |
True Generosity
True Purpose True Greatness True Service True Vision |
THE NAIL
Wednesdays 10.00 am – New Forge Place
Seven sessions of discussion, fellowship and refreshment for all in our community. This year we follow the book ‘The Nail’ by the Stephen Cottrell. In our sessions we consider the Passion Story through the eyes of some of the by-standers and witnesses.
1st March Peter The Revd Will Gibbs
8th March The Roman Centurion The Revd Tim Vickers
15th March Pontius Pilate Grace Sawyer
22nd March Caiaphas The Revd Tim Vickers
29th March Judas Father Michael Mannion
5th April Mary Magdalene The Revd Gill Hulme
12th April Pilate’s Wife The Revd Will Gibbs
LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU…
Thursdays 8.00 pm St Mary’s Church
Our visiting speakers offer inspiring talk to help us to reflect on the ways that the Christian ideas of service and care can be offered to the vulnerable and needy in society.
9th March ‘A stranger and welcome you’ Malcolm Ernst, Waterways Chaplain
16th March ‘In need and take care of you’ Janis Feely – ‘The Living Room’, Alcohol & Drug Dependency Support
23rd March ‘Crosslights’ Passion Play The Riding Lights Theatre Company. Tickets £10 in advance 7.30 pm at Redbourn Village Hall
30th March ‘Held captive and visit you’ Reona Joly, Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre
6th April ‘In debt and support you’ Rachel Martin, Christians Against Poverty
TABLE FELLOWSHIP
Fridays 12.00 pm Redbourn Methodist Church
On Friday lunchtimes, the Redbourn Churches will take it in turn to provide a simple lunch at the Methodist Church as we share together and socialise. Donations equivalent to the cost of your lunch are invited and these will be given away to the charities we’re supporting this Lent.
Click here to download a printable leaflet with full details of our Lent programme.
Yours in Christ,
Will
St Mary's Church, Redbourn 